House Bill H.R. 3354 Goes to Senate in Hopes of S.294 Passage

September 28th, 2017

White House Confirms, if Passed, President Trump Would Be Advised to Make It Law

Now that the U.S. House of Representatives have adopted and passed House Bill H.R.3354, which will exempt premium and large cigars from FDA overreach, it’s the U.S. Senate’s turn to signal their approval and pass Senate Bill S.294 on to the President’s desk. According to Glynn Loope, director of the Cigar Rights of America, the Senate Bill, S.294, “helps clarify the language that was passed in the budget and would reinforce the progress that has been made in the House.”

Originally submitted by Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), S.294 has seen more support from both sides of the aisle in recent days. Senator Donnelly (D-IN) was the 17th Senator to sign-on in support of S. 294, and this week Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA), became the 18th Member of the Senate to alert the FDA that premium cigars are different from other tobacco products and should be exempted from regulatory authority. Moreover, Pennsylvania is home to several nationally-based premium cigar retailers.

Senate Bill S.294 includes the same language as the recently passed H.R.3354. Should S.294 be passed by the Senate, it would go the President for signing. According to one source, the White House has confirmed that if the bill is presented in its current form, President Trump’s advisors would recommend he sign the bill into law.

Although the response to both bills has been put them on a positive track, Cigar Rights of America continues its “Action Alert” appeal to cigar smokers across the nation asking them to sign a newly-revised online petition regarding S.294. The message has already been pre-written by CRA, and once completed, will go directly to both of each signee’s U.S. Senators. To sign and send the petition, click here.